LightClan Book 2 The Chosen Cats
by laptop246
Summary: Book 2. Summary of prequel and book 1 inside. The Chosen Cats have finally found each other. But what will they do now, with MightyClan raging among the forest and seemingly indistructable? 6 moons after the last book.
1. Summary of Books 1 and 2

**Van: Welcome to MoonClan Book 3 The Chosen Cats!**

**Kai: We are your hosts, Vanessa and Kairi**

**Van: But you can call us Van and Kai**

**Kai: All right, let's get to work! We've got all sorts of twists planned for this book!**

**Van: But we begin with a summary of Books 1 and 2, for all of you who are new or forgot.**

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><p>Book 1 The Lost Territory centers its focus upon MoonClan's medicine cat, Mousesky, and the leader (Mossstar)'s apprentice, Rainpaw. It begins with telling of a gathering where TreeClan demands more territory, which is refused to them. They threaten to fight for it. Rainpaw then tells how she catches Icepaw meeting with a SunClan apprentice, Ashpaw, in an underground cavern. Later, MoonClan is attacked by TreeClan and LightningClan, and is driven out, accidentally leaving their leader, Mossstar behind. The deputy, Wildmask, heads back to search for her.<p>

Meanwhile, Mousesky leads the Clan to refuge in CloudClan, where they stay until Mousesky visits the MoonStream and learns of Mossstar's death and Wildmask's peril. She is consulted to send Rainpaw to find them, and she does. Rainpaw finds refuge in a kittypet garden, where she later stumbles upon Wildmask. Together, they head back to CloudClan, with the kittypets.

Wildmask recieves her nine lives and takes on Wildstar. She leads MoonClan (with CloudClan at their side) to the Gathering, where a battle breaks out between MoonClan, CloudClan, TreeClan, and LightningClan (SunClan fled beforehand). Towards the end, Mousesky is flung off the Gathering Tree, and is killed. Around her body sprung StarClan warriors, demanding a stop to the action. At the same time, Icehead (Icepaw, the apprentice meeting Ashpaw) is beginning her kitting. LightningClan and TreeClan flee, and Icehead gives birth to Leafkit and her sister, Spotkit.

Thus ends Book 1.

Book 2 The Stars Aligning introduces more of the Chosen Cats. Rainpaw (now Rainsong) is one, and Leafkit another. Also, there is Stormtalon and Milkbird from TreeClan, Blossomkit from CloudClan, Honeyheart from SunClan, and Roy/Starpaw from the twoleg homes. It tells how TreeClan and LightningClan merge into MightyClan, a Clan with cruel ways, and how Leafkit's sister, Spotkit, drowns. Leafkit also becomes the new medicine cat for MoonClan. Roy leaves his twoleg nest and is driven into MightyClan after the death of his sister and is named Starpaw.

Then MightyClan took action and attacked SunClan, driving them out. The only survivor was pregnant Honeyheart, who took refuge in MoonClan. There she finds Leafpaw (Leafkit) and discovers that they are aunt/niece. At the Gathering, MightyClan kills MoonClan and CloudClan's leaders. Rainsong discovers that Milkbird is her sister and they flee to the camp. Leafpaw also flees with Starpaw. On the way they are attacked by Stormtalon, who eventually also joins them. They race to find Honeyheart and flee the territory.

On an outcrop of rocks, they find Blossomkit, who also fled when her camp was attacked. Her Clanmates are dead around her. They make their own camp there, finding they were all Chosen Cats, and sharing some of their powers. Honeyheart has her kits there - Flamekit, Streamkit, Mistkit, Mudkit, and Icekit. They control the elements.

There they all swear allegience to a new Clan - LightClan, devoting themselves to the quest for light. And they all agree the Rainsong is their leader. Leafpaw and Starpaw become medicine cat/warrior - Leafpath and Starshine, and Blossomkit becomes Milkbird's apprentice - Blossompaw.

Thus ends Book 2.

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><p><strong>Van: And thus begins Book 3 The Chosen Cats!<strong>

**Kai: We hope you enjoy and tell us what you think!**


	2. Allegiences

**Van: Time for us to show our Allegiences!**

**Kai: Though untraditional, ****we will show the powers of the Chosen Cats (whom are the embodiment of LightClan) in italic next to their discriptions.**

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><p><span>LightClan<span>

LEADER Rainsong - brown she-cat with white spots _natural leader_

DEPUTY (none)

MEDICINE CAT Leafpath - red, orange, and brown she-cat with green eyes_ seer, diviner, sees future and past_

QUEEN Honeyheart - ginger she-cat _mother and protecter of the elements_

Kits: Flamekit - flaming red tom with green eyes _controls fire and heat in general_

Streamkit - blue-grey tom with grey eyes _controls rain, rivers, and water in general_

Mistkit - light grey she-kit with startlingly blue eyes _controls winds and air in general_

Mudkit - dark brown tom with brown eyes _controls growth (life)_

Icekit - white she-kit with light blue eyes _controls ice, frost, and cold in general_

WARRIORS Stormtalon - dark grey tom _finder of paths_

Milkbird - white she-cat _reads, controls, and aims to protect the minds of cats_

Apprentice: Blossompaw

Starshine - black tom with a single, stark-white star upon his brow _is the embodiment of StarClan_

APPRENTICES Blossompaw - red, orange, and white she-cat _Heightened senses_

MightyClan

LEADERS Kestrelstar – light brown tom

Skystar – white tom

MEDICINE CATS Windnose – dark brown tom

Riversky – blue-gray she-cat

QUEENS Sharptwig – ginger she-cat

Kits: Rockkit – grey tom

Birchkit – tabby tom

Goldenbite – golden – brown she-cat

Squirreltooth – dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Kits: Yellowkit – orange tom

Largekit – big large brown she-cat

APPRENTICES Robinpaw – red tom

Toothpaw – brown tom

Muddypaw – dark brown she-cat

Strengthpaw – tabby tom

Caramelpaw – small black tom with caramel colored streaks and eyes

Sockpaw – black tom with brown streaks and white paws

Leapingpaw – brown tom

Brightpaw – white she-cat

Starpaw – black tom with a single, white star on his forhead.

WARRIORS Poppysharp – ginger tom

Nettletooth – tortoiseshell she-cat

Willowrock – dark brown she-cat with lighter flecks

Apprentice: Toothpaw

Brokenrock – light gray tom

Milkbird – white she-cat

Cloudpelt – white tom

Apprentice: Muddypaw

Birchpath – dark gray tom

Slowlegs – black tom with twisted legs

Featherrock – ginger she-cat

Moletooth – light brown tom

Apprentice: Caramelpaw

Mistyclaw – light brown she-cat with dark flecks

Apprentice: Sockpaw

Sorrelclaw – dark gray she-cat

Stormtalon – dark gray tom

Apprentice: Starpaw

Nettlefoot – ginger tom

Apprentice: Strengthpaw

Sharpenedfern – tortiseshell she-cat

Patchtooth – white she-cat with ginger patches

Rockstorm – light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice: Robinpaw

Snakefoot – dark brown tom

Foxclaw – golden tom

Apprentice: Leapingpaw

Sharpfoot – tortoiseshell she-cat

Sootsharp – dark gray tom

Snowbite – white tom with brown tail

Apprentice: Brightpaw

Dappletooth – tortoiseshell she-cat

Strongclaw – dark brown tom

Tabbytooth – tabby she-cat

Hillhigh – elderly light brown tom

Bluetooth – blue-grey she-cat

Clawpelt – big ginger she-cat

Sharpclaw – small grey tom


	3. Future

**Van: Time for Chapter 1!**

**Kai: In past books, we have really had a rotation, but we will start one for this book. It will be as thus.**

**Leafpath - Flamekit - Starshine - Streamkit - Rainsong - Mistkit - Stormtalon - Mudkit - Honeyheart - Icekit - Milkbird**

**Van: And so on and so forth.**

**Kai: So we begin with Leafpath, Van's personal favorite.**

**Van: This is entitled Future.**

**Kai: Enjoy!**

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><p>The vision came to Leafpath out of darkness, stirring Leafpath's other dreams. She saw a blue-grey she-cat padding through a forest, followed closely by a white she-cat and a dark grey tom. She recognized them quickly as her companions, Rainsong, Milkbird, and Stormtalon. Behind them padded a ginger she-cat, surrounded by her kits and another apprentice-aged cat. Leafpath immediately named them as Honeyheart and her kits as well as Blossompaw. And behind them walked Leafpaw herself and Starshine, the handsome cat the Leafpath felt herself mooning over everytime she saw him.<p>

They were walking through the forest they did every day, looking for somewhere to stop. But they never found a place where they would be unplagued by MightyClan. They could leave the area completely, but none of them wanted to leave. They all were determined to drive MightyClan out. But how could seven cats and five kits take out countless strong warriors? So on they went.

Now they were moving slowly, wearily, as though they had been walking for quite some time. And then, suddenly, from the darkness, came a mound of fur, flinging itself at the cats with a snarl, and Leafpath heard a sceam of surprise and pain before she woke up, gasping.

In the nest beside her, Starshine awoke, startled. "Leafpath?" he asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Just...dreams," Leafpath tried to stop trembling. "I'm sorry I woke you."

Starshine sighed, pressing closer to her. "It's okay," she reassured her. "I don't mind. What was your dream about?"

Leafpath hesitated, but soon it spilled from her. Starshine watched her carefully, his illuminated eyes showing concern. When she was done, he said, "That sounds horrible. Oh, Leafpath, it scared you, didn't it?"

Leafpath trembled, feeling cold in the spring air. "Yes," she admitted.

"Hey, are you cold?" Starshine asked. Leafpath nodded mutely, and Starshine pressed closer, spreading the warmth that he always gave her throughout her. "It's okay," he reassured her. "You know, just because you dreamed it doesn't mean it's true."

Leafpath turned her eyes upon him, seeing them mirrored in his deep back ones. "Really?"

"Really," he confirmed, nodding. "Just because you're a seer doesn't mean you can't just dream anymore."

"So...it might not be real?"

Starshine purred. "Probably not." He pressed closer, and Leafpath shivered, though not from cold this time. "Better?" he asked.

"Much," Leafpath answered, and she drifted off to sleep purring.

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><p>"Leafpath, Leafpath," Starshine was gently nosing her fur when she awoke. She stretched and purred at him, intwining their tails briefly before he asked, "Sleep better?"<p>

"Much," Leafpath answered, thinking of Starshine's warmth and glancing around the clearing.

"Milkbird, Rainsong, Stormtalon, and Blossompaw went out hunting," Starshine explained, and Leafpath nodded, purring at the sight of the kits tumbling around Honeyheart.

"How did you sleep, Honeyheart?" Leafpath called to the queen.

Honeyheart looked up from where she was grooming an impatient Icekit's fur. "Just fine, thank you." She nodded to Flamekit and Streamkit, who were wrestling, steam spiriling into the air. "Those too, though, are worrying me."

Leafpath looked at the play-fighting kits. It seemed as though their element powers were at battle again. She padded over to them, mewling, "Streamkit, Flamekit!" Both looked over to her, springing apart. "Leafpath!" they called to her. "Come and wrestle!" Leafpath flinched at the proposal. Unlike their mother, she was not immune to their element powers. She still had a healing burn on her flank from Flamekit's carelessness.

"No, I'm not in the mood to play-fight," she said. "Instead, do you want to work on your hunting crouches?"

"Oh, yes!" the two called, jumping up and down, immediately crouching down to demonstrate their crouches. Leafpath pressed down Streamkit's tail, and Starshine helped Flamekit crouch down more. Then she purred in satisfaction. "You're pretty good," she said, "and you're almost six moons now, right?"

"Yep," agreed Mistkit, wandering over. As she did so, a breeze blew her upward and turned her upside down, making her purr playfully.

"Rainsong's bound to make us apprentices soon!" decreed Flamekit, lashing out at Icekit, who was still sitting near Honeyheart.

"Ow!" wailed Icekit, leaping backwards. "Honeyheart, he - he - he _burned _me again!"

Honeyheart sighed, and Leafpath's shook her head in sympathy. Flamekit didn't get along well with most of the kits - especially Icekit. Leafpath had a haunting suspicion that it was because of his element. Flames were in constant battle with Ice (Icekit), Earth (Mudkit), and Water (Streamkit). However, Mistkit, who controlled wind, had no problem getting along with him.

"Flamekit, stop bothering your sister," she said, "Get over here." He did so, purring as he did so. "Now, I want you to listen to me," she said. He immediately calmed, his tail resting on the ground. "You're future is fast approaching. You have to decide what you are going to do with it. The rate you're going, everyone is going to hate you because you pick on them too much."

"Oh," Flamekit said smally, his ears drooping.

Feeling a stab of pity, Leafpath put her tail on his shoulder. "But don't worry, Flamekit. You really can't help it. It's in your powers for you to behave like this. But remember, not all flames are wild. There are quiet, gentle ones, too."

Flamekit looked up at her, his eyes sparkling. "I promise I'll try, Leafpath," he mewled. "I really will."

"Good," Leafpath said, looking at him a moment before changing the subject. "Have you thought about who you want to be your mentor?" she asked.

He nodded, striking his warrior pose again. "I want Stormtalon to mentor me! He's the bravest warrior there is!" He paused, tilting his head quizzically, as though thinking of her words of wild and gentle flames. "But...I wouldn't mind being mentored by another cat."

Leafpath purred, putting her tail around his shoulders gently. "I'm sure that you will make a great warrior. Just remember what I said." Flamekit nodded solemnly and then rushed off to go play with his siblings. Leafpath sighed slightly, moving back to where Starshine was sitting in a patch of sun.

"You're worried about him," Starshine observed.

Leafpath nodded. "His siblings gang up on him, as is the natural way of things. It's not reversable, but it's not fair to him, either."

"That could change when he is apprenticed," Starshine pointed out. "Provided he has the right mentor."

"He wants Stormtalon," confessed Leafpath. "who is a good warrior and cat, especially to Rainsong, but I don't think that he's the right mentor for Flamekit." Starshine murmured agreements. "I was wondering," Leafpath continued hesitantly. "how you would feel if I asked Rainsong to let you mentor him."

Starshine gazed at her with those deep black eyes, and Leafpath thought she must surely be melting under his gaze. "If you think I would be good for him, Leafpath... Well, I trust you."

Leafpath purred, pressing closer to him. "Oh, Starshine..."

At that moment, Mudkit and Mistkit came bounding up to them, bouncing and looking excited. "Leafpath! Leafpath!" they chorused. Leafpath purred and asked what they wanted.

"We wanted to ask you..." the kits looked at each other and began bouncing again, glancing at Starshine as though he was making them uncomfortable. Finally Mistkit blurted "Can we walk with you today?"

Leafpath looked from the kits to Starshine, feeling a twinge of unease. She had planned to walk with Starshine at the back, as it was his turn to guard the backside today. Perhaps sensing her unease, he reassured her, "It's okay. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Leafpath asked. "You'll be all alone and -"

"It's fine," he repeated, and Leafpath heard a small purr in his throat.

Leafpath turned back to the kits. "You will have to help me collect and carry herbs," she warned. "It's hard work."

"We don't mind!" Mistkit said immediately.

"We're strong kits!" Mudkit added.

"Mudkit! Mistkit!" Honeyheart called to them. "Come here. You're filthy." Grumbling, the kits scampered over to their mother, Mistkit floating part of the way.

Leafpath purred and shook her head. "Those two have spirit," Starshine purred. "All of Honeyheart's kits do."

"They are wonderous," Leafpath admitted. "I can't wait until they are older. Then we can build up LightClan and defeat MightyClan."

Starshine frowned like this bothered him. "Leafpath, you...you don't know what we are up against. MightyClan...it's huge. You haven't even seen half of what they do."

"But we will prevail," Leafpath was confident. "What does Rainsong always say? 'Light always prevails over Might.'"

Starshine shrugged. "I'm not doubting Rainsong's leadership skills. That's her gift. Of course she will convince us that we will prevail. But...when you look at it..."

Leafpath's eyes narrowed. She didn't like seeing Starshine like this, so doubting and unmotivated. "But we have StarClan. We have _you."_

"StarClan cats can't fight anymore," Starshine mewed. "They're gone."

"But _you're _not." Leafpath pointed out. "Listen, Starshine, I've been thinking. Do you know what we're looking for all these days, when we're wandering around?"

"A safe place."

"Exactly. We will only be safe where StarClan watches us. Someplace that StarClan finds sacred."

"But where is that?" Starshine sounded tired. "The MoonStream - the TreeSpot...none are important anymore. I can just feel it."

"We have to find the place that is," Leafpath told him. "And then, you can bring StarClan to us. And then, to defend that spot, I am sure that they will fight. Light will prevail." She dug her claws into the dirt restlessly. "This is the way it is meant to be." There was a sense of finality to the words, and Leafpath knew that she had just delivered another prophecy.

"The way it is meant to be..." Starshine savored the words, before standing and looking down on her. "Leafpath, you know the future. It always changes, doesn't it? Well, is this meant to be?"

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><p>Leafpath was walking through forest, just like in her dream. That gave her a thrill of fear, and she looked around suspiciously for a bundle of black fur to leap at her, ready to rip her to shreads... Starshine's words, echoing in her mind, were her only comfort... <em>Just because you're a seer, doesn't mean you can't dream.<em> Now that she thought of it, she wondered if he had meant sleeping dreams as well as hoping dreams. Had he been making a reference to the feelings they shared? Leafpath desperately wished that she had seen this then, and spoken to him about it. She wished she had told him how every time she was around him, she felt...breathless...perfect...whole.

"Leafpath?" asked Mistkit, pointing her tail to a leafy plant. "Is that a herb?"

Shaken from her dreaming, Leafpath nodded. "No. I don't know what that is." Fuzzypelt, the StarClan cat giving her assistance in her mind, muttered agreements.

"Will we ever find _any_ herbs?" Mudkit asked in frustration, stamping his paws on the ground.

Leafpath stifled a purr of amusement. "Keep looking," she encouraged them. "We'll find some." And look they did. Every time they saw a plant that they even thought had some similarity to their idea of herbs, they would pester her, asking her questions of it, until her head spin. Finally, Mudkit spotted the small flowering plant. For once, Leafpath had a name for it. Dock.

"Wait up!" she called to the others, who quickly gathered around and sat on the ground, exhausted from the long morning's walk. Leafpath hurried Mudkit and Mistkit over to the dock, quickly teaching them how to harvest its leaves without breaking them. When she first demonstrated, Mistkit excalaimed, "Wow! You're amazing!" and those bright blue eyes filled with admiration so deep, Leafpath thought her heart would expload with pride.

"I want to be just like you when I'm bigger," Mudkit said cheerfully as they finished.

Leafpath was taken aback. "Just like me?" she repeated.

"Of course," Mistkit agreed "You're so important to everyone - we wouldn't even be here without you."

"And Rainsong listens to everything you say," Mudkit put in.

"And," Mistkit said shyly. "You have Starshine."

Leafpath felt her fur get hot. How could they think so highly of her? "Well," she said "that's being a medicine cat. But it's hard work, and stressful to know that every cat depends on you. One mistake can mean...disaster."

The kits stared at her, wide-eyed. "But that just makes you more brave!" cried Mudkit.

"Even braver than Honeyheart," agreed Mistkit. "And she has to worry about us all the time."

Leafpath's head was spinning at their admiration. She wasn't used to this."I-I-I can't believe...I had no idea...Thank you," she settled, hoping it was the right response. The kits eagerly supplied more tokens of gratitude to her, until Mudkit said, "I want to be a medicine cat, too."

"Wha...Really?" Leafpath was eager at the thought of having an apprentice to help her.

"Of course," Mudkit said.

"Me too!" Mistkit cried, not to be outdone. "I want to be just like you!"

"It's hard work," Leafpath warned. "Harder than warrior's work. We have to do both."

"We're strong!" the kits chorused. "We can do it!"

"And..." Leafpath hesitated. "You couldn't have a mate."

The kits stopped, blinking in confusion. "But...you have Starshine," Mistkit mewed.

"Starshine and I..." Leafpath trailed off. "We shouldn't..."

"But you are," Mudkit pointed out logically.

Leafpath blinked at the kits, who had so logically pointed out her problem. "Yes," she whispered. "I know."

"Well, _I _think the rule is stupid," Mistkit said. "I think that any cat should be able to have a mate, as long as there is always a medicine cat ready to take over."

"Do the rules even apply now?" Mudkit asked. "I mean, everything's different...isn't it?"

Leafpath blinked again, stupidly. Mudkit had almost word for word asked the same question she had to Starshine. Did the rules even apply? "I...I couldn't leave a Clan unattended," she decided upon a true and simple answer.

"Then you need us," Mistkit sounded satisfied.

Mudkit looked up at her, his brown eyes warm. "Is it settled, then? Can we be your apprentices?"

Leafpath stared at him a moment before shaking herself into the present. "Well, I'll have to talk to Rainsong, just to make sure that she approves. I'm sure she will, and then getting your mother's approval seems a good idea too...but if this is what you want...I suppose so." She looked at the kits, tail sticking straight up in excitement. Fuzzypelt muttered approval in her mind. _Two kits, two apprentices_ she whispered. _are a good idea._

Then, they both spoke the same words, "Welcome, my kits, to the world of Medicine Cats."

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><p><strong>Van: Well, that went well.<strong>

**Kai: Quick, to the point, well written (if I do say so myself)**

**Van: And all in about 2,700 words!**

**Kai: For those of you who don't know, most chapters take about 3,000 words to fit our needs. So we were blunt today!**

**Van: Message or Review!**


	4. Heat

**Van: Time for Chapter 2!**

**Kai: Now you get little Flamekit's point of view!**

**Van: This one is called Heat**

**Kai: Let us begin!**

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><p>Flamekit walked with Blossompaw. He knew that the pretty apprentice played tricks with his mind, the way that she walked, laughed, and talked all seemed to put him in a trance. But a good one, he decided. Besides, they were only about a moon apart, though you'd never guess because StarClan had sped her growth. She was now the size of a full grown cat, and still and appentice. Flamekit hoped that she would stop growing. Otherwise, she may grow so tall, he would never see her beautiful face again.<p>

"So you'll be an apprentice soon," Blossompaw commented, glancing sideways at Flamekit.

"Yes," Flamkit agreed "And you a warrior."

Blossompaw shrugged as though she was embarrised about it. "I don't know. I may be an apprentice for a while now. After all, I'm just older than you."

Flamekit nodded, happy to remind of that fact. "But you've learned a ton," he reminded her, "And you're _huge."_ He instantly regretted that comment - his fur felt hot with embarrisment as he stumbled to add "A-and you've had a long ap-prentices-ship."

Blossompaw purred slightly, which didn't help with Flamekit's heat problem. He sniffed slightly, and smelled burning twigs. He stopped, spinning around and cursing his carelessness, to see Icekit glaring at him from where she walked beside Honeyheart. She focused on the twig and it immediately froze, dropping the temperature and making Flamekit shiver. Jerking his head in thanks, he spun back around and nearly ran into Blossompaw.

"S-sorry," he said, stumbling back. They continued at their pace, and were silent a few moments.

"You really need to be more careful," Blossompaw warned. "One day, you may start a fire that your siblings cannot put out."

Flamekit muttered apologies. Twice that day he had been warned - once by Leafpath, and once by Blossompaw. Was it so obvious that he could hardly control his power? His siblings seemed more able to. Why couldn't he?

"It's okay," Blossompaw seemed to sense his worries with her heightened senses. "We all had trouble with our powers at first. I didn't even realize that every cat couldn't smell, hear, and so on as I can."

"Mine can't go that easily ignored," Flamekit said, jelousy prickling his pelt. How wonderful, to be able to hide your power! He didn't have that luxery, and, he realized, neither did his siblings.

"That's why you must learn to control it," Blossompaw said clearly. "Listen, you'll be fine. Just...believe in yourself, okay? It'll make everything a lot easier." Flamekit didn't respond, and they walked in silence for a long time until Milkbird slowed to let them catch up. Flamekit sighed under his breath. Now Blossompaw would spend the rest of the walk talking about training with Milkbird.

"I was just talking with Rainsong," Milkbird said, which may have confused Flamekit, having known that they weren't standing together, if he hadn't known that Milkbird could talk to cats in their minds if she wanted to. "She agrees with me that it's high time for your warrior ceremony."

Blossompaw actually stopped a moment, shocked. "Are you serious?" she asked. "Me...a warrior? I'm barely seven moons!"

"In age," agreed Milkbird, "but in body and mind, you far exceed the normal." Her gaze softened. "Come now, we made you an apprentice early. Why not a warrior?"

"I...I can't believe this!" Blossompaw was breathless in excitement. "Hawtail...Hawktail would be so proud - and Sandkit too." She closed her eyes momentarily as though picturing them, and Flamekit felt a stab of pity. He may not have had a father, but he still had his mother and littermates.

"Congratulations, Blossompaw," he mewed warmly, and she opened her eyes to him, radiating happiness. "I told you that you could do it."

"That means it's you're turn, too," she reminded him, turning to Milkbird. "When are the kits getting apprenticed?"

"Tonight," Milkbird said. "With you're warrior ceremony. And then we will feast." Flamekit's stomach rumbled at the thought of a feast. They had skipped their sunhigh meal today, because Rainsong was restless and wanted to move faster. "Leafpath approached Rainsong about your siblings," Milkbird addressed Flamekit.

"About what?" Flamekit narrowed his eyes in confusion. What had they done?

"Oh, nothing wrong," Milkbird meowed, carelessly reading his mind and answering his question. "They approached Leafpath and requested that they were apprenticed to her. Mistkit and Mudkit, that is."

Flamekit blinked slowly. So this was the path that Mistkit and Mudkit had chosen. He was a bit disappointed that Mistkit wouldn't be training with him. She was, after all, his only sibling that didn't naturally hate him.

"Don't worry," Milkbird said in that annoying way of hers to read minds and then comment upon what she found. "Mistkit and Mudkit will still have to train as warriors and medicine cats. Especially in these days...they have to know how to take care of themselves."

Flamekit nodded, satisfied, and found himself wondering who would be mentors. He thought immediately of Stormtalon, the strong dark grey tom that he so idolized. Would he, perhaps, mentor Flamekit? The thought left him breathless with excitement. But then he remembered Leafpath's words. Could Stormtalon's strength really lead him to become a gentler, clamer Flame?

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><p>"Tonight!" Rainsong announced. "Is a joyous occasion. It is time to recognize the growing of the youth of our Clan. Blossompaw, please come forward." Flamekit watched, warmth billowing in his chest despite the cold spring night, at the sight of Blossompaw, groomed and strong, standing before Rainsong with her head high, ready to become a warrior.<p>

"Blossompaw," Rainsong mewed solemnly. "you have grown and learned in the ways of LightClan. Now is the time for you to make a choice. You pledged yourself to our cause as an apprentice. Now you must pledge to us as a warrior."

Blossompaw dipped her head without hesitation. "I, Blossompaw, hearer of the quiet, seer of the small, smeller of the scentless, feeler of the invisible, and taster of the tasteless, swear allegience as I have before, to Rainsong, her cause for light, and her Clan, LightClan."

Rainsong pressed her muzzle to Blossompaw's shoulders. "I accept you, Blossompaw, hearer of the quiet, seer of the small, smeller of the scentless, feeler of the invisible, and taster of the tasteless, as my warrior and servant of LightClan. I hereby give you the full powers of a warrior, and name you Blossomsky, for your youth and joy that you fling to the sky, and rests with us all. Rise now, and show the world your pride."

Blossomsky rose, a sparkle in her eye, and Flamekit was proud to be the first to chant, "Blossomsky! Blossomsky!" When Blossomsky returned to the crowd, her eyes rose to the stars, as though thinking of her lost family, and imagining them cheering too.

"Honeyheart," Rainsong meowed when the cheering died. "Please come forward." Honeyheart did so, dipping her head to Rainsong. "Honeyheart, you have done well to raise your kits, especially in the circumstances you are stuck in. Do you now entrust their safety and growth to their mentors, your Clanmates?"

Honeyheart hesitated before dipping her head. "I do entrust the safety of my kits to my Clanmates, and their mentors, though," she sneaked a glance at Rainsong. "I pray the Clan will remember my gift and its significance to them." Flamekit felt a flicker of annoyance at his mother for reminding the Clan how much they owed her, but dropped the ugly feeling immediately, remembering to be a gentle Flame.

"Of course," Rainsong dipped her head respectfully, and Honeyheart joined the Clan again.

"Mistkit, Mudkit," Rainsong continued "Step forward."

Flamekit watched his siblings, fur groomed to perfection, step forward, and felt an uncarecteristic burst of pride for the two of them. How much he and his littermates had grown in six moons!

"You have shown interest in the path of the medicine cats," Rainsong mewed slowly, studying the kits carefully. "do you accept it, for what it is, a hard path away from other cats, and closer to StarClan?"

"I do," Mistkit answered immediately, Mudkit's own reply slightly echoing hers.

"Leafpath," Leafpath stepped forward at Rainsong's call. "Do you accept these appentices as your own, and do you, Mudkit and Mistkit, accept Leafpath as your rightful mentor?"

Leafpath said, "I accept you, Mistkit and Mudkit, as my apprentices, vow to teach you all I can, and make you the best medicine cats you are able to be." To which Mistkit and Mudkit replied in unison in the words taught to the kits by Honeyheart, "I accept you, Leafpath, as my mentor, vow to listen to all you teach and respect you in every way I am able." Then Leafpath touched noses with Mistkit and Mudkit.

"I name you Mudpaw and Mistpaw," Rainsong said. "and I wish you luck and attentiveness in your apprenticeship." Leafpath, Mistpaw, and Mudpaw, dipped heads to Rainsong, and stepped back to join the Clan. "Mistpaw! Mudpaw!" the Clan called. Flamekit felt suddenly distant from those siblings - more so than usual. They were different now, going down a different path that he couldn't follow.

"Flamekit, Streamkit, and Icekit," Rainsong mewed. "Come forward." The three did so, Flamekit's tail quivering slightly in excitement. "You choose to follow the path of the warrior, as most of the cats around you. Are you sure of your choice?"

"I am," Flamekit answered with his siblings.

"May you have only the greatest luck in your endevors," Rainsong mewed. "Starshine, Stormtalon." The two came forward. Flamekit thought his heart would burst. Would Stormtalon mentor him? "Stormtalon, Icekit, do you accept each other as mentor and appentice?"

The two turned to face each other, and solemnly meowed the words, touching noses to seal the vow. Flamekit tried to hide his disappointment as Icekit was named Icepaw, joining the cheer of "Icepaw!" somewhat reluctantly.

"Starshine, Flamekit." Feeling a start of surprise at Rainsong's choice for his mentor, Flamekit turned to face Starshine. "Do you accept each other as mentor and appentice?"

Starshine's response was immediate, without hesitation. "I accept you, Flamekit, as my appentice, vow to teach you all I can, and make you the best warrior you are able to be." Flamekit's tongue felt heavy. He stared at Starshine, and found respect for him in his heart, but not the idolism he felt for Stormtalon. He still felt regretful, but he mewed, "I accept you, Starshine, as my mentor, vow to listen to all you teach, and respect you in every way I am able." They moved closer, and reached out to touch noses. Flamekit hesitated at the last moment, but touched noses with Starshine.

"I name you Flamepaw."

And it was done.

* * *

><p>"Now," Rainsong continued, "as for you, Icekit, I have decided to apprentice you myself."<p>

Flamepaw took an intake of breath, surprised. Leaders hardly ever had apprentices. Icekit, too, looked surprised, but recited the words with great poise, as usual, "I accept you, Rainsong, as my mentor, vow to listen to all you teach, and respect you in every way I am able." Then the two touched noses.

"I name you Icepaw."

Flamepaw cheered with the rest of the crowd, but he still felt very jelous of his siblings - they had gotten the better mentors! Feeling more than cheated, he sighed as the cheer ended.

"Time to feast!" announced Milkbird, hurrying to the fresh kill pile they had worked so hard to build up and throwing the largest kill to Blossomsky - "For the new warrior!" She then distributed the food merrily, and all ate until they were full. Flamepaw pushed away his jelousy, and stuffed himself, trying to fill the hole that had been created. He sat beside Starshine, and wholely ignored his mentor.

Once, when Flamepaw could no longer stand the silence, he called his congratulations to Blossomsky, whose purr was so loud, he could hear it from where he sat. She called back her own, and motioned that they would talk later. Flamepaw's heart beat in anticipation already. It was hard to return to his kill with Starshine, with Blossomsky so close and stunning.

Finally, when all the food was gone, it was time to sleep. Flamepaw proudly took a nest away from his mother for the first time, beside Icepaw and Streampaw, despite his burning jelousy for them. And oh, how it burned! - just as much as the stick had on the day's journey. The heat of it curled up around him, and he was so concentrating on it that he hardly heard Starshine's voice.

"I wouldn't do that."

Flamepaw looked up, surprised. Starshine stood above him, eyes narrowed slightly. "What?" the apprentice asked.

"I wouldn't do that - thinking hot thoughts. You're siblings...they can't take the heat. Especially those two."

Flamepaw shook some moss off his paw, trying to understand and buy himself time to think. Icepaw and Streampaw were already snoring beside him. "Did you want something?" he asked

Starshine only shrugged. "Only to warn you. I know that Leafpath and Blossomsky have as well, but I thought I might as well try. You have, after all, vowed to listen to me."

Flamepaw could only stare at his mentor. "I...I..."

"You need to try harder," Starshine told him.

"I can't," Flamepaw felt sudden anger, blistering hot. "I _am _trying."

"I am sure that you are," Starshine told him, obviously attempting to calm him. "But you need to try _harder."_ Flamepaw felt the stabbing anger, and abruptly smelled burning. He could see a fern nearby, roosting.

"Put it out," Starshine said calmly.

"What?" Flamepaw felt panic, and iritation. "I can't! I don't know how!"

"This is your first lesson," Starshine was iritatingly calm. "Just try."

"How?"

"Calm yourself."

_This is impossible._ Flamepaw sucked in a breath, and forced himself to calm. He closed his eyes, and took deep breaths, and slowly, the anger-fire that was coursing through his veins softened to a slow, pulsating glow. He opened his eyes, and looked to the branch, which was no longer flaming, but glowed a firey red and black.

"Good," Starshine congratulated. Flamepaw resisted the urge to attempt to box his mentor's ears, and grunted softly. After a few moments, he met the older cat's eyes. "Keep working on that," Starshine suggested. "And you'll be able to control it in no time."

Control? Flamepaw's heart beat with longing - to be able to control his power...that would be amazing. "Is it really possible?" he asked breathlessly. "Can you really help me do it?"

Starshine nodded. "If you listen, and if you _try."_

Flamepaw slowly dipped his head. Starshine gave him a nod, and made his way back through the sleeping cats to Leafpath. Feeling a sudden fondness for his mentor, and also selfishly wanting to give _him_ a warning, Flamepaw called. "Starshine!" Starshine turned, looking at the apprentice carefully. "Be...be careful yourself. Remember...Leafpath...she's a medicine cat. She's different. And you two..."

"Medicine cats are mated to StarClan," Starshine mewed slowly, firmly. _"I _am the embodiment of StarClan. We are doing nothing wrong. Besides," he hesitated. "Nothing is the same. The rules are collapsing. It doesn't matter." Then he turned and made his way to his nest, abruptly ending the conversation.

Flamepaw slowly lay down, curling up beside his siblings. He wasn't sure, and he may have imagined it, but he thought that Starshine seemed to be grasping for justifications.

* * *

><p>Flamepaw's dreams were full of fire. Around him, flames devoured the trees, melting the ice decorating them. Beside him, a river was disappearing, evaporating under the heat. Flamepaw was surrounded by his own flames, not a cat in sight, and there was no wind there to save him this time. He was alone, and he had destroyed the others.<p>

Alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Van: Whooo hooo! Flamepaw's something else, huh!<strong>

**Kai: Very...fiery...hehe...**

**Van: Well, that took about another 2,700 words again! On a roll!**

**Kai: Message and/or review!**

**Van: And Happy New Year!**


	5. Stars

**Van: Time for Chapter 3!**

**Kai: We got it pointed out to us (thanks, Iceshadow) that we messed up. Flamepaw is apprenticed to Starshine. Icepaw is apprenticed to Rainsong. Streampaw is appenticed to Stormtalon.**

**Van: oops...**

**Kai: Anyway, it's Starshine's turn to...shine?**

**Van: This one is Stars**

* * *

><p>Starshine woke as the sun began to rise. Careful not to wake Leafpath, he sat up and stretched, watching Silverpelt disappear into the daylight. He sighed at knowing that StarClan - <em>he<em> - was gone, but took comfort that it was always there, just not always seen.

Shaking his pelt, he padded over to Blossomsky, who was still guarding the camp, as she had all night, in silence. "It's all right," he told her. "You've completed your task. You can speak, sleep, or eat now."

Sighing, Blossomsky stood and stretched. "Sleep?" she asked "Don't we have to move?"

Starshine shrugged. "I think that Rainsong would understand a slight delay," he said. "Don't worry. I'll wake you up soon. I think that we are supposed to take out the apprentices this morning anyway." He glanced instinctively at Flamepaw, who was tossing and turning in his sleep next to Streampaw and Icepaw. Blossomsky sighed at the sight of him. "Flamepaw..." she muttered.

Starshine looked sideways at her. "You and him are close, right?"

Blossomsky nodded immediately. "He's my...best friend."

Starshine purred in sudden amusement. "I think Flamepaw thinks of you as more than a friend."

"Wha..." Blossomsky stumbled backwards in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Starshine's purr grew. "That young Flamepaw thinks very highly of you. I mean that he is, at least in his eyes, in love with you." Blossomsky could only stare in utter amazement. "It's okay," Starshine said quickly. "He's not going to try to mate you now...no, he'll wait until he's a warrior. Five moons. You have five moons to decide how you feel about him. That's plenty of time."

"But...Flamepaw...he...and I..." Blossomsky stuttered.

"Ah, the little rascle is getting up," observed Starshine, and the fiery apprentice was certainly standing, stretching, and spotting them. Quickly, he hurried over, shaking out his small, fluffy pelt. Starshine gazed sideways at Blossomsky, who seemed to be attempting to compose herself.

"Good morning, Flamepaw," Starshine greeted his apprentice, touching noses with him as they had the night before.

"Good morning!" Flamepaw chorused back, glancing at Blossomsky. "Good morning, Blossomsky!"

"Uh, G-g-good Morning," she stuttered.

"How are you this morning?" Flamepaw asked politely.

"Uh..Good...I mean, ah...sleepy," Blossomsky decided, shaking her head as though trying to clear it. Seeing the pained look on Flamepaw's face, Starshine felt a pang. Maybe he shouldn't have told Blossomsky.

"I should...ah...go to sleep," Blossomsky murmured, pushing past Flamepaw without another word.

Flamepaw watched her go, and then turned to Starshine. "What's wrong with her."

Starshine forced himself to look casual and shrug. "I suspect she's just tired, as she said. Guarding all night is exhausting, believe me. I did it when I became a warrior."

"Oh," Flamepaw was staring at Blossomsky's form, circling a nest. "Will she be better when she wakes?"

"I'm sure," Starshine reassured him.

"Good," Flamepaw's eyes were darting around the clearing. "So... Why are we up so early? Are we going to go train? Are we going to hunt? Can I eat what I catch? Are we -"

"Hold it," Starshine put his tail before Flamepaw's mouth, silencing the apprentice. "Yes, we are going to go hunting, but you have to _quiet down, _or all the prey from here to MightyClan will be cowering in its den." Flamepaw dipped his head, shamed, but only momentarily.

"What are we going to hunt?" he was soon demanding. "Where?"

Starshine shook his head. "Well, we aren't around a lot of rivers, so I figured we'd go there."

Flamepaw's ears flattened at the mention of rivers. "And hunt what? Fish?"

Starshine nodded. "Yes. Leafpath taught me how, since she's from MoonClan, and it's a good skill to have. I'm going to try and teach you how to hunt everywhere - including rabbits on plains, like SunClan."

The flaming apprentice's eyes sparked at the mention of his home Clan, where he would have been born. "Okay!" he cried. "Let's go." He scampered away from the camp, without even knowing where he was going. Shaking his head, and purring in amusement, Starshine hurried after him.

* * *

><p>They worked until nearly sunhigh. At first, Flamepaw was terrified of the water. He refused to approach it, his fur all on end. Starshine wasn't surprised. He would have expected nothing more from Flames. But when Streampaw and Stormtalon showed up, Flamepaw started paying better attention. Though he hissed with disgust and surprise when Streampaw flung himself into the river and began playing in it, he did learn to approach the edge of the water. Eventually, Flamepaw caught a fish. Measley though it was, Starshine could tell that he was proud of it.<p>

They both bid good luck to Streampaw and Stormtalon, and made their way through the forest. When they were a good way away, Starshine had the apprentice bury his fish, and practice lighting things on fire, and putting them out. It seemed a difficult task for Flamepaw, and Starshine reassured him that most flames were hard to control, but he would be able to, with practice.

Finally, they made their way back to the clearing. There they found Rainsong consulting a disappointed Icepaw, who had caught nothing. Blossomsky, Leafpath, Milkbird, Mistpaw, Mudpaw, and Honeyheart were eating around the clearing. Flamepaw dipped his head to Starshine, and took his fish proudly over to Blossomsky, completely ignoring where his family was sitting.

Leafpath waved Starshine over to the corner of the grove where she sat alone. He brought a rabbit that they could share. She didn't purr when he joined her, as she normally did, and he was immediately worried about her apprenticeship. "How are the apprentices?" he asked.

"Oh, them?" Leafpath shrugged. "Adept. Absolutely amazing. They can remember practically anything. I only wish we could stop somewhere, so that I could collect herbs instead of showing them to them. I worked with their powers a bit - Mistpaw's control is absolutely amazing. She can raise herself five tail lengths into the air, and throw twigs twice as far. Mudpaw's a bit more difficult. His moves slower, so you can hardly see it, but he did bring a dying plant back to life. How's Flamepaw?"

"Feisty," Starshine purred. "Has an opinion about everything. I got him to put things on fire, and put them out. Also, I had him get close enough to the river to fish."

"Is that smart?" Leafpath asked immediately. "After all, he is Flame."

Starshine shrugged. "He has to grow _some _immunity to water, or he'll die. It also might help his relationship with Streampaw."

"Maybe," Leafpath muttered, becomming silent once more. She took a bite of the rabbit, chewing it very slowly.

"Hey," Starshine nudged her, trying to intwine tails with her, but she pushed him away. "Are you okay? Did something go wrong? Did you have another vision?"

"They're always there," she muttered "right in the corner of my vision... but no. That's not bothering me."

"Then what is?" Starshine pressed, concerned.

Leafpath gazed at the rabbit a moment, before turning to him, and saying, "I don't feel right when I'm with you, like I'm...betraying someone. But...I can't think of _not _being with you. I...I'm so confused."

"Oh, Leafpath," Starshine sighed. "It _is _confusing, but do you remember what you said to me, the day that we met?" Leafpath didn't reply. "When I first saw you, in the shadows at the Gathering, it felt perfect. I knew there was no other cat for me, and that I'd never be happy unless I was with you. And then you fled the Gathering, and I knew I had to come too. And then Tabbytooth...she almost killed you."

"But you didn't let her," Leafpath remembered, shivering at the thought. "You saved me."

Starshine nodded. "Then we all ran here, and we were all together, and I thought there was never a more perfect moment ever - with you at my side, I could do anything." He pressed up against her, and she didn't move away this time. "I want to feel like that forever."

Leafpath sighted but still didn't move. "I'm a medicine cat," she said. "I can't...even though you _are _StarClan, it just isn't right..."

"Leafpath," Starshine locked gazes with her. "I'm in love with you. I can't change that, and I hope you feel the same way about me."

Leafpath gazed at him a long moment and then sighed. "I love you too, Starshine. But I shouldn't. I can't. It's wrong and I...I have to stop." Her green eyes sparked with emotion. "But it kills me to even think of it."

"Leafpath...Leafpath..." her name felt like heaven on his tongue, and he just wanted to say it again and again. "Leafpath, I love you and you love me. What more can we want? We have something, and we can't waste it. We could die any day. Why waste what time we have together?"

"Starshine...we can't do this."

"I love you."

"Starshine..."

"I love you, Leafpath. Nothing you say will change that, or that you love me."

"But I can't."

"Yet you do. Funny how love works like that."

"Starshine...please. Can we just...have a break?"

Starshine blinked, baffled. "A break?"

"Yes. Please? Just so that I can...figure this out."

Starshine stood, disbelief coursing through him. "Is this what you want?"

Leafpath blinked those green eyes at him, confusion running through them. "Yes. No - ... I don't know."

"Leafpath, just tell me this," he meowed, desperately. "Do you love me?"

She hesitated, but answered with certainty, "Yes."

"Then why are you doing this?" he demanded. "Leafpath, I don't think you understand. I am StarClan. I know of all the stories of cats who died sorry that they hadn't spent what time they had together. There was one cat, Leafpool, with _you're _name, Leafpath! She was a medicine cat, and she love a warrior _fom another Clan._ But they didn't deny that love. They had kits, and she loved them and him, despite it all - despite the fact that she wasn't a medicine cat anymore. She didn't care. She only cared about love."

Leafpath had her eyes closed, and was shaking with emotion. "Starshine, please don't make this harder for me. This...this is the hardest thing I've ever done."

"Leafpath..." he was suddenly aware of the eyes on them. "Can we take a walk?"

Leafpath glanced around them and dully agreed. They set off without looking at anyone else, padding along in silence, thinking. Starshine thought desperately, wondering how he could convince Leafpath to listen to him. Finally, he settled, and asked, "What does Fuzzypelt say?"

Leafpath hesitated. "That she was never blessed enough to have a mate. She...she wants me to take advantage of this life while I have it. She reminds me how quickly it can be stolen away. But she also says that duty is important. She respects me for my sense of it, but thinks its clouding my true vision."

Starshine nodded, sending silent thanks to Fuzzypelt. "That is my point exactly. Most StarClan cats agree with me. When you're dead, and in StarClan, there isn't much to do but look at the cats below and think about what you did wrong. You don't want to regret this forever, do you?"

"I might if I do either thing," Leafpath sighed. "Oh, Starshine, this is so confusing! I can't have kits - not now! I have two apprentices to train, and I have to help lead the Clan into battle soon. There couldn't be a worse time -"

"You don't have to have kits now," Starshine was purring. Was this all that had worried Leafpath. "I can wait for kits until after this mess is over. I want a peaceful life for them. Not this."

Leafpath shook her head. "But it still isn't right, Starshine! I have to put my all into this Clan."

"I can help," Starshine pointed out. He was nearly begging now. "I promise I won't be a distraction to you."

"Starshine, I..." Leafpath froze in her sentance, stopping walking and altogether freezing. Her green eyes clouded, and Starshine almost stumbled over her. "Leafpath?" he asked, and it was a few moments before he understood what was happening. A vision had overtaken her once more. Sighing, he gently used his tail to stroke her back until, gasping, she unfroze.

"Starshine!" she screamed, spinning around, eyes unfocused.

"Leafpath? Leafpath!" he stepped into her line of sight, and she visibly relaxed at the sight of him, her pelt now shaking with shivers of terror. "Leafpath, are you -"

"Starshine, thank goodness..." she buried her nose in his fur, still shaking in terror. "I...I saw..."

"Shh...it's okay...everything's fine," Starshine comforted, though he was dying to know what she had seen. He waited until her sobs ceased, and then met her eyes. "What was it?"

"It...it was you," she chocked out. "You...and you were...covered in blood...and I...I couldn't help you..." she broke off, terror living in her, and Starshine felt a thrill. She had seen him...dead? "Starshine, I'm sorry..." she breathed. "You were right. We don't have time to waste. None of us do. I...I love you, and I always will."

Starshine looked at her gently. "I love you too, Leafpath. I won't ever let anything hurt you. You don't need to worry."

And though Leafpath didn't say the words, Starshine could see them in her eyes: It's not me that I'm worried about. It's you.

* * *

><p><strong>Van: Wow, even shorter... about 2,500 words.<strong>

**Kai: Too short, guys? Or is it better like this?**

**Van: Review or PM**


	6. Waves

**Van: Time for Chapter 4!**

**Kai: Everybody raise the roof for... Streampaw!**

**Van: We're going on a whim here, people. We really have no plans for this chapter!**

**Kai: We call this Waves (as in water, as in affection)**

* * *

><p>Starshine and Leafpath didn't return to the grove until nearly sundown. They book looked embarrised, and slightly bedruggled. Rainsong had decided that they couldn't hunt them down, or leave them behind, so they had just stayed in one place for the day. This was a luxery that Streampaw had never enjoyed, and he spent the day with Stormtalon, learning how to hunt and fight. Stormtalon had even shown him how to control his gift.<p>

Streampaw made his discovery after Starshine and Flamepaw left the river. He was still splashing about, wholly ignoring his mentor's instructions, when he slipped underwater. His eyes snapped open and he immediately beheld a new world - so different from the one above him. This was more peaceful, the colors more vibrant and peaceful. He began to playfully float downstream, chasing a plump fish, batting it with his paws. He took an intake of breath, and wasn't completely surprised when the oxygen seemed to turn to fresh air in his lungs.

Finally Streampaw surfaced, purring heavily, feeling completely protected. He spotted Stormtalon a bit upstream, looking around wildly. "I'm here!" he called, ducking under and swimming, flexible as a fish, towards Stormtalon.

"Streampaw!" gasped the grey warrior, staring at the apprentice wading in the water. "You scared me to StarClan!"

Streampaw tried to hide his purr of amusement by ducking his head, nose gently touching the surface of the water. "I'm sorry, Stormtalon, for making you worry. I just..." he glanced back towards the deeper water, feeling a prickle of longing.

Stormtalon shook his head vigerously. "I...just...don't do that again. Please."

Streampaw frowned at his mentor. Why was he insisting that Streampaw give up that other world? Streampaw didn't know why, but it made him distinctly happy. It had to do with - and they rarely breeched this topic - his power. It had to do with the water that he sometimes called forth, the way that the dew drops would always seemed to come towards him. And so he didn't respond to Stormtalon's demand nor did he protest Stormtalon's decision to hunt elsewhere.

Stormtalon seemed to know where he was going even though he didn't know the territory. Streampaw knew that was his power, his gift - finding paths, as much as Streampaw's seemed to be his attraction to water. Finally, Stormtalon stopped in a clearing, and instructed Streampaw on how to stalk a mouse, a rabbit, a lizard, and many other creatures. Streampaw never actually got the chance to hunt, but the very thought of all the different stalking methods made his head spin.

"Confused?" Stormtalon sounded sympathetic. Streampaw nodded. Stormtalon sighed as well. "I grew up in the forest. I didn't know about rabbits or frogs or fish. I learned all of that from LightClan. They...changed me. We are all different. we are not many Clans, but one. That's why I am teaching you all of the techniques. Because it is best you know them all."

"But what about the Clans themselves?" Streampaw asked

Stormtalon purred slightly. "You have grown in the different parts of the Clans." Streamkit tilted his head slightly, confused. "You have heard all of our different terms, supersticions, games, and the ways we act. We all bring different parts of different Clans to make LightClan. We are all the Clans...in one."

"Is..." Streampaw hesitated, unsure if he was allowed to mention it. "Is that why you left MightyClan, to join LightClan? Because we are all, not one? Or was it because we are the right cats, the right side? Or...was it Rainsong."

Stormtalon appeared taken aback by Streampaw's boldness. He blinked several times before responding, "I do not know if this is proper talk for mentor and apprentice, Streampaw." Streampaw ducked his head, ashamed, and muttered apologies as his mother had taught him to. After a few moments, Stormtalon continued softly, "But I am glad you asked. It has been too long since I have had a tom to talk to." There was another pause. "And... it was Rainsong. If not for her, sometimes I wonder if I would still struggle against you in MightyClan. I owe her so much."

Streampaw purred slightly. "Are you two..."

Stormtalon shifted slightly, as though his fur was twitching and warming from embarrisment. "We...uh...Streampaw, we...we have not persued such topics."

"Oh," Streampaw's own fur was heating now. "Well...why? We _are_ living in fear of being found and slaughtered by MightyClan at any moment. What better reason do you need? Talk to her."

Stormtalon gazed at Streampaw a long moment, and then dipped his head slightly in aknowledgement. "I feel silly to have been outsmarted by my own apprentice. I...I shall think about it."

And Streampaw inclined his head slightly in return. Because, what more could he have asked?

* * *

><p>That night, when Starshine and Leafpath were arguing about their relationship, Streampaw noticed that Stormtalon was looking thoughtfully from the couple, to Streampaw, to Rainsong. As Streampaw had said before, it was silly that the two couples did not talk about the way they felt about each other. After all, the affection they felt for each other was no secret. Perhaps, though, now that Starshine and Leafpath were talking their way through this, now Stormtalon and Rainsong may, too, evolve into...something else.<p>

"Streampaw?" Icepaw asked, licking a forepaw carefully. She sat beside him, in one of the small snowdrifts left. "How was your first day?"

"Long," he answered. "and confusing." Icepaw purred in agreement. "So, how about you? How's Rainsong?"

Icepaw purred louder, rubbing her paw along her brow. "She's inspiring. She's so brave, and she knows so much... I don't think that I could learn more from another cat." Streampaw purred in agreement.

Flamepaw shifted where he was sitting nearby in a patch of sunlight. Though Streampaw shared little liking from his brother, and Icepaw less than him, he asked, "And you, Flamepaw? How is Starshine?"

Flamepaw turned his firey head towards Icepaw and Streampaw. He studied them a moment, and shrugged. "Calm. He's not really a warrior, but he knows what he's talking about." He hesitated, and then, in a sort of grudging way, "What about Stormtalon?"

"He's...a bit violent...but he's really smart, too." Streampaw answered honestly. "But I can learn so much from him." he didn't add what he was thinking; that he may be able to help his mentor equally.

Mistpaw and Mudpaw came over, and plopped down beside their siblings. Purring, the talked on and on about how amazing Leafpath was. They claimed that she could name every plant in the forest, and that she could heal any ailment.

"And," Mistpaw clamored. "She taught us how to use our powers."

They all leaned forward. Streampaw's heart ached with longing. Stormtalon had discouraged Streampaw from using his powers. A quick glance at Icepaw showed that she shared his longing. Flamepaw's face, however, showed excitement and his eyes were glassy as though he was remembering something. When he caught Streampaw looking, however, his face quickly became impassive.

"What'd she teach you?" Icepaw demanded. "What can you do?"

Mudpaw shrugged. "Not much different. But she says that it will change quickly if we practice." he hesitated. "Actually, I'm relieved. My powers...they are so subtle, so slow...I was scared they might not exist...but Leafpath is helping me now."

Mistpaw put a tail on Mudpaw's shoulder gently. "He's really getting the hang of it now," she said reassuringly. Streampaw felt slightly amused. That was Mistpaw, all right, always trying to make all of her siblings feel better and get along.

"Well, Mistpaw's amazing," Mudpaw purred. "She can lift herself a tail length into the air _and _do all sorts of flips for a full minute before she falls."

"Mudpaw," Mistpaw's tail twitched slightly. "please. Don't."

Mudpaw shook his head, but didn't respond. Streampaw looked at his siblings slowly, face to face. He realized with a shock how much they had grown from small, sniveling kits. Now they were older, stronger, smarter, and, most importantly, better controlling of their powers. He looked around at the five extreemly muscular cats around him that could control minds, cats, futures, and so on.

And suddenly, he understood.

He understood why they kept moving every day. He understood why they couldn't stop, and why they never would. He understood why they were all so determined.

They might - just _might _- be able to best MightyClan. If they only had a few more cats - just ordinary cats, not ones with powers - they could make even MightyClan cower before them. Only then would they be able to usher in Light.

But where would they find the other cats?

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><p>The next day, the walking continued. Streampaw walked with Mistpaw and Mudpaw, in front of Leafpath and Starshine. The two appeared to have found peace with each other, and kept making affectionate motions between each other, despite the other cats nearby. Streampaw could only hope that this would steady Stormtalon's resolve and make him speak to Rainsong.<p>

The day was long, and the walking tedious. Streampaw hardly spoke, saving his energy for keeping up with the older cats. He exchanged words a few times with his siblings, and some with Stormtalon, but all were meaningless. He spoke with Honeyheart briefly, and he tried to show his gratitude for the way that she helped them, but he wasn't sure if he conveyed it well.

And then, shortly after they stopped for their sunhigh meal, there was a shift in the shadows. Streampaw stopped, immediately suspicious. He sniffed, but before he could identify any scents, a scrap of fur flung itself into the mass of cats, and one screamed in terror and pain.

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><p><strong>Van: Whoot Whoo!<strong>

**Kai: Oh, yeah! Cliffhanger!**

**Van: Review so that we'll update quicker!**

**Kai: Or PM**


	7. Cats and Dogs

**Van: Time for Chapter 5!**

**Kai: Rainsong's getting ready to take over...not really...she already leads LightClan.**

**Van: We call this Cats and Dogs.**

**Kai: Both senses, if you understand what we mean by that.**

**Van: Also, the series has changed. First of all, it is now LightClan, not MoonClan. Book 1 is now a Prequel. So that makes book 2 book 1, and this book 2. Loose anyone?**

**Kai: We will still write a book three. We just needed some breathing room here.**

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><p>Rainsong spent the day walking beside Stormtalon and Blossomsky. She had recruited the young warrior to walk with them not only because she was a good cat, and Rainsong wanted to extend her congratulations to her, but also because she didn't want to walk alone with Stormtalon. The big grey tom was intimidating, in more ways that one. Though her heart fluttered hopelessly when she was around him, she was scared to mess things up. And, beside that, she was a leader. She couldn't have kits.<p>

They made small talk, nothing of importance. Several times, Stormtalon seemed to be steeling himself to say something, but nothing ever was said. Rainsong caught him looking at Leafpath and Starshine upon several occasions, and she wondered if he was as happy for them as she was. After Leafpath's sister had died, and her mother grew distant, Rainsong had taken the young cat upon herself. She had taken Leafpath to the MoonStream to become a medicine cat, and served as a temporary mentor to guide her as best she could.

Rainsong was proud of Leafpath. She had matured quickly, despite her still kindling age. She was as fine a medicine cat as Rainsong could ask for - better, with her prophasizing skills. She was good with Honeyheart's kits when they were kits, too. It was no wonder that Mudpaw and Mistpaw had insisted upon being apprenticed to her. All of the kits adored her. Starshine could not have asked for a better mate.

But Rainsong didn't want Leafpath to have kits just yet. Maybe, when this conflict was over, and she had Mistpaw and Mudpaw to take over her duties momentarily, she could have kits. After all, since everything was changing, why could the rules, as well? MightyClan had let loose great change over the forest. The Clans were no more. It was only Light and Might. New Clans. New Changes. New Era.

Then, suddenly, beside Rainsong, Blossomsky slowed her step, nose in the air. "Rainsong," she said slowly. "I think I smell a -"

Then, suddenly, a midnight bundle of fur flung itself into the back of the party. Rainsong hissed in surprise, and Leafpath in sudden pain as the scrap pushed her to the ground. Leafpath, reacting quickly, rolled over, and pinned the scrap to the ground, hissing in its face as it immobilized it. Starshine, eyes sparkling in concern, hurried over to Leafpath. He glanced at her attacker, and began to sputter in surprise. Icepaw, near them, bristled in surprise and fear.

"What i-" Rainsong cut herself off when sound erupted all around them, and larger, more terrifying shapes hurtled into the midst of the party. Rainsong cauught only a glimpse of black fur and sharp teeth before she was on the ground. Pain laced through her, and she meowed loudly in alarm. She beat feebly at the attacker's underbelly with her hind paws, and it yelped and let her go.

Rainsong leaped up, fur on end, and snarled. She imagined that she must make a formidable opponent in this stance, and normally the cat facing her would have traces of fear in his eyes and scent.

But not this time. This time, Rainsong was met by a different opponent. This opponent was not intimidated by Rainsong's snarl and formidable stance. No, it was Rainsong that cowered this time, fear alighting her heart as she wondered how she would prevail this time. The odds facing her had always been bad - finding her leader in enemy territory, beating MightyClan - but this was a new opponent.

This was a dog.

It snarled at her, and Rainsong snarled back, though with less gusto that normal. Despair lived in her heart, as well as stabbing fear. How would the apprentices stand up to such monsters? It dashed in claws aimed at her heart, and Rainsong was forced to dash away, pain stabbing her forepaws where the beast had clawed her. She stumbled, and it was upon her again, snarling in her face.

Rainsong closed her eyes. So this was how the end came.

Then, right when she expected to feel teeth in her neck, the dog shoved her away. Her pelt touched another one, soft and stiff. Rainsong opened her eyes, confused. Around her were her companions, wide-eyed in shock. The warriors, Honeyheart, Stormtalon, Milkbird and Blossomsky, had wounds similar to Rainsong's, but they didn't seem to be serious. Milkbird and Blossomsky stood back to back, snarling. Leafpath was standing stiffly, close to Starshine. Her eyes flickered in and out of focus. Rainsong knew that she was seeing visions. It was, as Leafpath had explained, because a crossroad had been passed, and the future was revealed, to a more apparent degree.

The apprentices were, perhaps, the ones to worry about. They had instinctively drawn close to their mother, and their element powers seemed to be on overload. Flamepaw was left alone by the others, eyes closed as ferns burned nearby. Streampaw was sitting in a small dip in the ground, and water filled it. When it reached Icepaw's paws, it turned immediately to ice. Mudpawwas surrounded by small buds of plants, apparently growing upon sight, and Mistpaw was cowering, wind speed picking up in the forest. Honeyheart was looking from kit to kit in apparent dismay.

It dawned upon Rainsong that only the warriors were harmed - not the apprentices, and not Leafpath. The dogs hadn't harmed them in any way but by scaring them. It was an odd thought, but Rainsong wondered if the dogs were civilized.

She looked into the faces of the dogs, surrounding the cats. There were still snarls in place, but only warning them from trying to escape. Their eyes sparkled with intellegence. One barked at another, and it barked back. Were they having a conversation? Rainsong was shocked. She hadn't thought that dogs could be intellegent. She'd thought that the only intellegent beings were Cats and Twolegs. Rainsong surpressed a purr, despite the situation. Why not dogs, too?

_We need to find out what they want from us. _But how they would do that remained a mystery to Rainsong. She gazed at the cats around her - _her_ cats. They were _her_ responsibility. She couldn't live with herself if something happened to any of them. When her eyes fell upon her sister, Milkbird, she had an idea.

"Milkbird," her sister imediately straightened. One of the dogs growled slightly, but Rainsong took no notice of them. "Milkbird, can you hear them?" Milkbird realized what she meant, and touched Rainsong's mind to confirm it. Upon feeling Milkbird's mind touch her own, Rainsong asked, _Can you speak to them?_

Milkbird hesitated. _I think so. But not all at once. Which one should I speak to?_

_The leader,_ Rainsong looked at the briefly, and then flicked a tail towards the largest one, the one that had attacked her. _That one, I think._

_Okay._ Milkbird lingered just long enough for Rainsong to sense her unease, and then she was gone, staring at the leader. The dog shifted, and let loose a loud yowl. The others began barking furiously, and a few took threatening steps towards the cats, but Milkbird didn't break eye contact with the lead dog. Eventually the huge black hound let out a bark, and the dogs reluctantly backed away.

The contact continued for a few moments before Milkbird inclined her head slightly. _He wants to speak to you._

Rainsong felt a prickle of alarm. The thought of touching minds with any but her sister scared and repulsed her. Not to mention that this was a dog. _How? More importantly, how?_

_Don't worry, _Milkbird was trying to console her. _If I let him, he can hear what you say through me._

_Should I just stand here? _Rainsong resisted the urge to shuffle her paws in anxiety.

_No. _Milkbird was firm. _Come, take my spot. And eye contact is crucial. Stand tall, tail in the air. Look strong, and they'll respect you. _When Rainsong still hesitated, Milkbird gave a mental sigh._ Come, now, it's for the good of LightClan._

That ended any argument that Rainsong might have given. She padded to face the lead dog, trying to look as confident and intimidating as she could. She doubted that she was suceeding, but Milkbird silently reassured her that she was fine. Rainsong gazed into the black dog's deep black eyes, which appeared to have no emotion. They maintained this contact for several moments before, quietly, a voice came from Milkbird that was not her own.

_You lead pack?_ It was a grunt, not a growl or a snarl. It sounded like a dog, except that its words, lacking in grammer as it was, was cohorent.

She inclined her head slightly to him, not aknowledging leadership between the two of them, only agreement as would come from equals. _I lead these cats, yes. We are LightClan._ She considered speaking more to him, about MightyClan and their powers, but witheld the information. It may have significance in leverage later, she thought. Milkbird shielded these thoughts from the pack leader, the ones he was not meant to see.

_What called?_ The gravely voice came.

Rainsong puzzled over this a moment before she realized that he meant herself. _Rainsong, _she told him. When she sensed his confusion, she directed thoughts to him of rain splashing on the leaves, and sensed understanding.

_I Leader. Pack Leader. This is Pack._ He swept his muzzle around the dogs surrounding him, still silent, waiting. He paused before adding, _Why is Song of Rain and Clan of Light on Pack's Land?_

_We didn't know it was yours. I apologize for intruding. _she dipped her head, and Milkbird conveyed that it was a symbol of acceptance to a leader, or one of equal status.

_Why does Clan of Light not have its own Land? Why is it here? _

_There is another Clan, _Rainsong admitted, somewhat reluctantly. _MightyClan. They are savages. They did not accept our Code - The Warrior Code. They...they drove us out. They slaugtered our families. If they knew we lived, we too, would be dead._

The dog tilted his head. _Why not fight? _he asked. _If you Dog, you fight._

_We aren't Dog, _she admonished _We are Cat. And we did fight, of course. But we were still honor-bound, and greatly outnumbered. We wait, now, before we attack and seek revenge upon the deaths of our families._

_What wait for? _he seemed confused. _For the pups to grow?_ he motioned with his snout to the apprentices, still on elemental overload.

How odd, thought Rainsong, that this strange dog could find our problem so quickly. Milkbird agreed quietly, advising Rainsong to be careful upon how she answered. Finally, Rainsong replied, _I am not sure. I suppose that we wait for a sign. And yes, the apprentices - pups - should grow first. But, enough of this. Who are you, this Pack? And what is to become of my Clan?_

The leader made a small sound that Rainsong identified as a kind of purr of amusement, only it was Dog. _You will come with us to Camp._

_And then what?_ Rainsong ventured.

_And then we either accept you as our own, or we kill you._

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><p><strong>Van: Boy, that was difficult to write!<strong>

**Kai: Did we pull if off? It was only 2,085 words...really short!**

**Van: Review or PM!**


	8. Winds

**Van: Time for Chapter 6!**

**Kai: Mistpaw's turn!**

**Van: This one is Winds**

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><p>Mistpaw watched Rainsong turn slowly away from where she had been standing before the largest dog. Her heart raced with terror, but more prominantly, curiosity. Were they speaking with minds? Or simply staring at each other? And was that dog the leader? Or just a warrior? What was going to happen to them? Was this the end of LightClan, slaughtered by dogs?<p>

"It's okay," Rainsong reassured them quietly. "They won't hurt us...not now, anyway." She paused, then straightened and regained her look of authority. "This is Pack Leader, and his Pack. He tells me there are more of them, at Camp. We are to go there."

There was a pause, and then Blossomsky asked quietly, "What is going to happen to us?"

Rainsong opened her mouth, and then closed it. She glanced from Blossomsky to Milkbird, and to the apprentices. Mistpaw thought she sensed hesitation in her leader's gaze. Rainsong finally mewed, "I don't know. Pack Leader says it will be deicded."

Mistpaw glanced at her mentor, Leafpath. The she-cat's eyes were slightly misted, but she nodded to Rainsong, as though in the present. _Is she having visions? _Mistpaw wondered.

The largest dog, Pack Leader, gave a bark. The dogs around them were suddenly alert, as Pack Leader barked a few more times. Then they began to pad forward, and LightClan walked too, in the middle of them, prisoners.

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><p>The dog's camp was not as orderly as Honeyheart had described the SunClan camp. It was situated in a clearing, and it appeared that the dogs sat about it randomly. There was no designated spot for kill, sleeping, or announcements by Pack Leader. However, there was no dirt in the clearing, so Mistpaw could only assume that the dogs were civilized to know to make dirt in private. This gave her heart. If they weren't complete savages, then they most surely wouldn't slaughter her and her companions, would they?<p>

At their arrival, many of the dogs stood and began barking loudly. Mistpaw flinched instinctively at the sound, wanting nothing more than to summon a wind and soar high above the trees, away from all of this. Leafpath, as though knowing what she was thinking, looked around to her appentice and shook her head. No. Stay here. And so Mistpaw forced herself to walk forward, trying to look braver than she was, worrying about her siblings.

Pack Leader walked to the center of the crowd, and LightClan around him. A respectful distance away, the dogs gathered, growling and barking. Pack Leader hushed them with a ear-deafening bark. Blossomsky flinched painfully, and Mistpaw was not envious of the warrior's heightened senses.

Milkbird spoke loud enough for all of LightClan to hear, "I shall translate for you, if you will open your minds to my voice." Mistpaw felt a thrill of excitement, despite it all. Milkbird had never spoken to her in her brain.

Pack Leader began to speak in a series of grunts, barks, and growls. It was, Mistpaw later reflected, a crude way to communicate, but mesmerizing all the same. Milkbird began the translation in her mind, and Mistpaw was astonished that simple barks and grunts could mean so many sentances.

_This is Clan of Light Cats, _Milkbird translated. _They were on our territory, fleeing from the Clan of Might, which drove them out and killed their families._ Pack Leader paused to let this sink in. Then, gesturing to Rainsong, _They__ are lead by Song of Rain. She claims to have come to Pack's lands by accident. Old Ones, what is your ruling. Should Clan of Light be killed, or accepted?_

Mistpaw flinched at these words, and glanced up at the dogs that stepped forward. Their pelts were ragged, their shoulders slumping. They looked like old cats, and their eyes sparkled with intellegence, three in total. They were elders, she realized. But why was Pack Leader asking them? Wasn't he the leader? Didn't he make the decisions? Or was he just a face for the Clan? Or, maybe, did they work together? The idea was revolutionary, but it seemed to fit the Pack's atmosphere.

_If they were dogs, _Milkbird translated for the first. _They would not have fled so cowardly. They would have stood and fought, and died, if it was honorable. They have dishonored themselves. It would be a gift to let them die?_

_But what of the pups? _the second was female, squinting at Mistpaw. _We__ cannot kill pups._

_Fine, then, _the first said. _We kill the elders, and accept the pups._

_Can we accept cats? _the third asked, wonderingly. _It has never been done before, though, I suspect, there is a first time for everything._

There was a silence, and then the first said, _Oh, confund it, he's right. We kill them all, or at least the elders, and set the pups free outside our borders._

Mistpaw looked at the third, somehow feeling that he would speak next. And he did. _What are their names? _he asked.

The first snorted in his odd, doggish way. _Why does it matter?_

_It makes it easier to think of them as individuals, which they are...unless you're so old you can't see a thing now. _The first made a noise of anger, but didn't make any further comments.

_They are as this, _Pack Leader explained, _Song of Rain, the leader. Icy Paws, her beginner. Pa__th of Leaves, the healer. Paws of Mud and Paws of Mist, her beginners. Talons of Storm, fighter. Streaming Paws, his beginner. Bird's Milk, fighter. Heart of Honey, fighter and mother. Skies of Blossoms, fighter. Shining Stars, fighter. Flaming Paws, his beginner. _Mistpaw had to surpress a purr at hearing her name as this. 'Paws of Mist'...she liked it. She'd have to keep it in mind.

_Th__ey are just like us, _the third old one said. _They are leader and healer and fighters and beginners. And mothers. How can we kill them? _He turned to Rainsong. _What does Clan of Light plan to do now that they have no land?_

Milkbird continued to interpret as Rainsong opened her mind to all of the dogs and spoke to them. She explained how they intended to best MightyClan, though she didn't mention how. The third old one turned to the others. _See? _he demanded. _Exactly like us. On a quest for vengence and honor. How can we not help them?_

Before the first could open his mouth, the second old one padded up slowly to Honeyheart, who faced the old dog with courage in her gaze and confidence in her movement, though Mistpaw didn't doubt for a moment that her mother was terrified. _You, _said the she-elder. _you are a Mother, Heart of Honey?_

Honeyheat dipped her head in agreement, and Milkbird quickly expressed agreement to the elder, who immediately looked to Mistpaw and her siblings. _Are these your pups then? _Honeyheart again nodded. _And their sire? _Honeyheart hesitated before shaking her head. "Tell her that he was killed by MightyClan. Make her understand my sorrow that he would never know his kits." Milkbird did, and the old one let out a keening howl full of pain.

When she was finished, she told Honeyheart, _I feel your pain, sister. My own mate has left me, and my kits are old now. Hold them, sister, and don't let them go._ She looked up and adressed the whole of the Pack and LightClan. _I say we accept them all. My callegue is right. They are too similar to us to turn away._

Mistpaw felt a surge of hope. A few moments before, she had had little hope to the future, expect by perhaps escape. But being accepted by the Pack...what would that be like? Would they be sent in peace, or made part of the pack itself? It was an exciting prospect, and Mistpaw surpressed the instinct to jump from paw to paw in excitement.

All eyes turned to the first elder, who seemed to be considering his options. The sun was sinking lower in the sky when he barked, _My vote is needed to finalize this decision, but I cannot seem to understand the motivations of those two. I see cats only a prey, not individuals like us Dogs. They should die, anyway, if they were driven out._ To the other Old Ones, _Please_,_ reconisder your decisions._

_We are certain, _they said

_Then so be it, _he first sighed. _I will accept them, though they are not dogs._

_It is done! _called Pack Leader. He looked at the cats below him. _We shall accept Clan of Light as our own beginners, to become fighters of Pack when we deem they have earned it. Clan of Light now owes allegience to Pack, and Pack to Clan of Light. It is done! Welcome._

And then the dogs all around them began to howl to the now setting sun, and Mistpaw again had to surpress the urge to fling herself into the sky with the sound, fly away and never come back. But how could she abandon her Clan, her family? Besides, there was so many interesting things happening down here...no, she could learn to fly high later. Now was the time to stay on Mudpaw's territory - the ground.

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><p>The cats were given a section to sleep in at the direct center of Camp. It was one of the warmest parts because of it, and Mistpaw was grateful for the heat, though she suspected that it was more so that they couldn't creep away in the night. So, she thought, we are part of the Pack, but not trusted. We are beginners... She suspected that term was the equivelent of the cat's apprentice.<p>

The cats were, however, not fed fresh-kill, which Mistpaw knew to be fair, since they hadn't contributed to the fresh-kill pile. Still, though, it made her stomach ache with hunger to watch the dogs tear open their killl before them.

Mistpaw curled up with her siblings, Honeyheart close by. Flamepaw pressed up close to her, his fur warm, but pleasently so, not burning as it sometimes was. Mudpaw, sitting beside her, was no longer surrounded by budding flowers, though there were a few springs of grass. Streampaw and Icepaw, too, seemed to be calming down. Mistpaw felt a slight breeze tickle her ear fur, and let her fur lay flat, feeling comforted. The winds still answered to her here in Camp.

Icepaw shivered, which couldn't have anything to do with the temperature, as she loved it cold as it could possibly be. Mistpaw remembered her sister trying to bury herself in snow until Honeyheart put a stop to it. Now, Icepaw whispered, "This is creepy." Flamepaw grunted in ageement, for once agreeing with his counterpart sister.

"The second and third...what are they? Old ones?...they wee the good kind," Mudpaw offered. "I think we can trust them."

"Yeah," agreed Streampaw. "It's the first that we ought to worry about." he glanced around and lowered his voice. "I wouldn't put it beneath him to murder us in our sleep." Icepaw let out a small cry of strangled terror. "Nice, Streampaw," Flamepaw admonished. "Way to calm everyone down."

Mistpaw realized with a start that her siblings were waiting for her to voice an opinion. "I think...we should just stay calm. We lived through today, didn't we? Let's just trust that Rainsong knows what she's doing. We'll probably just spend a few days here until we can gain the Pack's trust. Then I'm sure they'll let us go." Mistpaw didn't agree with what she was saying, but it was nessasary. Her siblings didn't seem much convinced either.

"But where would we go?" Streampaw blurted out. "Where are we _ever _going?" Mistpaw could only shrug. She had no answer.

"Where StarClan wants us to, I think," Mudpaw said softly.

"StarClan?" scoffed Flamepaw. "If you are referring to Starshine, I've asked him. He's just as clueless as we are. He says we would do better to ask Leafpath - that the prophosizing skills of StarClan are all hers now."

Mistpaw narrowed her eyes slightly. "Leafpath is very quiet about her visions. I think she shares them with Starshine, and maybe Rainsong, but there are no other acceptions - not even me and Mudpaw." Mudpaw grunted agreement.

There was a short silence, broken by Icepaw. "Well, I always thought we were looking for other cats to help us fight MightyClan."

"What other cats?" asked Streampaw desperately. "MightyClan has already gathered, bribed, terrified, or killed any cat anywhere nearby. There's no one left."

"Still," Mudpaw tilted his head. "it's an interesting theroy. What if there are other cats out there?" They all fell into a laspe of silence, thinking about it. Then, suddenly, and idea hit Mistpaw.

"What if," she proposed slowly. "the Pack is the help that we've been looking for?" Her siblings murmured their doubts. "No, wait. What was it that Pack Leader said? 'Clan of Light now owes allegience to Pack, and Pack to Clan of Light.' They can help us!"

Her siblings looked at her skeptically. "I don't know. We don't seem that welcome," Streampaw pointed out.

"We have to gain their trust," Mistpaw countered. "It can happen, in time. Say, I'll bet that's what Rainsong is thinking! Imagine, with the Pack with us, we could finally fight MightyClan!"

Flamepaw was shaking his head. "It still wouldn't be enough," he sighed. "Sorry, Mistpaw. It's a cool theroy, and it may very well come true, but we'd need more than us and the Pack to take down MightyClan. Starshine says it probably still grows by the day." Streampaw nodded. "Stormtalon said nearly the same thing."

Mistpaw sighed, her hope stolen. "Then it's hopeless... Unless there's more cats out there." And their conversation ended on that sad note, because what was the likelyhood that they could get that lucky?

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><p><strong>Van: Mistpaw...hmmm...you didn't get to see as much of her flare as I'd hoped.<strong>

**Kai: We'll have to show it later.**

**Van: Well, 2,534 words! Better? Worse? Or what?**

**Kai: PM or review!**


	9. Mistaken Paths

**Van: Time for Chapter 7!**

**Kai: Sorry it took so long to update!**

**Van: We've been really busy.**

**Kai: Stormtalon's turn!**

**Van: How about... Mistaken Paths ... it fits, because Stormtalon _is _our pathfinder.**

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><p>Stormtalon woke to the sharp barking of dogs. He instinctively tensed before he remembered the events of the past night. Rainsong lifted her head from the movement, gazing at him a moment. "It's okay," she whispered. Stormtalon thought that she was talking to herself as well.<p>

The rest of the cats were still asleep; the apprentices together, Leafpath and Starshine close, and Honeyheart, Milkbird, and Blossomsky in a circle, tails twitching in their dreams. The dogs, for the most part, were also sleeping. A few were padding around, growling quietly to each other, and grooming themselves. It looked, Stormtalon thought, just like the TreeClan camp had, so long ago.

He turned to Rainsong. "I am restless," he admitted. "I will not relax until we are far from here."

Rainsong met his gaze, brown eyes cool. "None of us shall."

"How long must we stay?"

Rainsong hesitated. "As long as it takes to gain their trust."

Stormtalon stood, stretching to buy time and resisting the urge to dig in the dirt with his claws. "Why must we?" he asked finally. "Pack has not killed us. Why press our luck? StarClan would want us to go."

Rainsong's gaze strayed to Starshine. "Why does Starshine sleep so peacefully, then?" She sighed. "Stormtalon, I share your concerns. We are doing what no cat has dared to before. We are befriending _dogs. _But...they have accepted us. It is only right that we accept them."

Stormtalon looked at her a moment. "What is it, Rainsong? I know you well enough to see that you are planning something."

Rainsong hesitated, but the words poured out of her like a river. "You know how badly outnumbered we are against MightyClan. What if... What if Pack and LightClan can join, and... Stormtalon, what if we can _win?_ Before, I never had much hope. But now... if we can get Pack to side with us, we could actually regain the forest, and we might be able to return things to how they were."

Stormtalon was dubious. He doubted he could return to TreeClan and abandon Rainsong and the others. The thought was painful. "Not the way things were. Never the way things were."

Rainsong dipped her head in aknowledgement. "But we may be able to bring LightClan to power. Oh, Stormtalon, do you see it, too? Or am I just becoming a silly elder?"

"I think," Stormtalon looked the she-cat in the eye. "that you are the most daring and brave cat I have ever met." Rainsong immediately dipped her head, trying to hide embarrisment that Stormtalon saw clearly. He felt a sudden warmth in his chest, and continued, "You're smart and strong, and LightClan wouldn't be here without you."

"Stormtalon," Rainsong's pelt was twitching, as though she was uncomfortable. "Please."

Stormtalon knew that he was pushing his luck. He knew that he was being reckless, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from saying, "And you're beautiful as a light summer rain."

Rainsong looked up, and Stormtalon saw fire in her eyes. "You," she said. "brought us here. You're our Pathfinder. Without you, we'd all be long dead from MightyClan patrols we happened along. Without you, there'd be no LightClan. You're just as important, if not, more, than I. And...you're sweet."

Stormtalon purred deeply as the sun rose above the tips of the trees and the cats around them began to wake.

* * *

><p>Streampaw pressed close to the ground, his tail perfectly balanced. <em>That's right, that's right, <em>Stormtalon thought. _Just a bit further... _Stormtalon leapt and pinned the mouse to the ground. He nipped its neck a few times and it fell, limp.

"Nice catch, Streampaw," Milkbird purred as Streampaw sat up, purring, his paws still upon his kill. He looked expectantly at his mentor.

Stormtalon knew he was purring in his good mood. "Good job, Streampaw." he nodded. His eyes strayed to the three dogs accomponying them, black shadows watching them calmly.

"Is this Streaming Paws's first kill?" Milkbird asked for a dog called Mind of Claws - Clawmind, as the cats would call him.

"Yes," Stormtalon answered. "Tell him, Milkbird that Streampaw is a...what do they say for apprentice?... a beginner only a few sunrises ago."

"And you have been on the move, Storm's Talons?" asked another, called simply Terror.

Stormtalon muttered assent.

"Then that is quite admirable, Streaming Paws," the third, Face that it Fair, nodded to Streampaw. "Few pups can accomplish this." Streampaw purred slightly, but Stormtalon could tell his was uneasy as he conveyed his thanks.

"All right, let's continue," Milkbird mewed, and they all continued deeper into the forest. They had made a good amount of catches that day. Of course, the dogs had contributed most of it, but Milkbird and Stormtalon had contributed a fair amount, and Stormtalon was satisfied. Stormtalon had made small adjustments to their course over the day, according to where he had a hunch the prey was best. However, his mind kept drifting back to that morning with Rainsong. Why hadn't he followed Streampaw's suggestion before? It seemed silly now.

Then, the dogs stopped. They began to sniff at the air and whine. One let out a howl. Milkbird sniffed and immediately tensed as well. Streampaw was gazing at Stormtalon, terrified. Stormtalon lifted his nose and carefully sniffed. "Badgers!" he hissed, fur standing on end as he cursed the creatures. "We have to move!" Fear clung to him. He had been changing their direction all day. Why hadn't he sensed that they were there?

Suddenly, four black and white figures burst into the clearing. One slashed at Stormtalon, and he stumbled back, feeling the sting. "Badgers!" he howled, and launched himself at the badger that had attacked him. He slashed at its nose and hissed in its face. The badger stumbled back, and Stormtalon hissed in its face. Somewhere nearby, there was a bark, and one of the dogs - Terror, maybe? - crashed into the badger. The two began to claw ferociously at each other. Stormtalon hissed, and launched himself at the badger when they had broken apart.

The badger was much larger than Stormtalon, so he could not meet it with force like the dogs could. Instead, he required nibleness. He danced around the dog, nipping at it when it least expected it. Soon the badger, frusterated, gave blows that missed more and more each time. When Terror took over again, Stormtalon took the chance to look around at the clearing.

Clawmind faced one badger alone - but he was doing splendidly. The badger could barely move without getting a crashing blow, and Mind of Claws had only the tiniest of scratches. Milkbird and Face that is Fair faced another badger, fighting it similarly to the way that Stormtalon and Terror were theirs.

That left Streampaw to face the last. Stormtalon felt a prick of fear, but the apprentice was managing remarkably well. He was coated in water - his elemental powers kicking in, fueled by his fear. The water appeared very thick, and it clung to him like goo. Whenever the badger grabbed at him, Streampaw slid easily out of his grip; whenever the badger slashed, it caught water, not flesh. Stormtalon subconciously wondered if Streampaw was completely water.

Stormtalon dashed to the rescue of his apprentice. He darted in front of him, and hissed directly into the face of the badger, spitting between its eyes. The badger swatted him aside, and Stormtalon's muzzle stung like his side where the other badger had struck him. Careful, he got up. Streampaw was spitting in similar manners beside him, keeping the badger momentarily at bay. Stormtalon nodded to his appentice, a clear signal, and they leapt for the badger.

The poor badger didn't stand a chance. With the combined powress of Streampaw and Stormtalon, they clawed at his eyes, pelt, paws, nose, and anything else they could reach. Streampaw's elemental powers definately helped, and slowly, Stormtalon became coated in water as well. When, finally, the badger lay on the ground, barely breathing, Stormtalon cast the death blow. Then they looked around.

Terror had long since abandoned the badger he and Stormtalon had begun upon. It seemed to have escaped. Now he faced another with Mind of Claws. Even as Stormtalon and Streampaw watched, the badger whimpered and fled. Fairface and Milkbird were still facing the last badger. When the rest stepped forward to help, Face that is Fair growled and motioned them away.

Milkbird was facing the badger, nearly nose-to-nose, and Stormtalon guessed that she was in its mind. Suddenly, the badger dropped to the ground - fainted? - and Fairface leapt forward and slew it. Milkbird watched, a dazed expression on her face.

"Milkbird!" called Stormtalon. "What happened?"

Milkbird turned to him, appearing revolted. "I...entered it's mind...without its permission...and...I told it to faint. I made it want to die." she let out a keening yowl. "I didn't realize its pain would become mine."

"Are you okay?" Stormtalon had long since raced to her side, watching the white she-cat stare into the distance on unsteady legs.

"He had a mate," she whispered, "and three kits, or pups, or... Now they're alone. They can't...she's just kitted. She can't feed them all, and now there's no one to do it for her..." she gazed at the body, remorce and revulsion clouding her gaze. "What have I done?"

* * *

><p>When the reached the camp once more, Milkbird immediately touched Pack Leader's mind and told him about the attack. Stormtalon sought out Rainsong, and told her.<p>

"Four badgers?" her eyes were wide. "and you killed two?"

"Yes," he nodded. "We...um...I suppose you could say that we cheated." he quickly explained the way that Streampaw and Milkbird had used their powers against the badgers, and Milkbird's distress over it. Rainsong immediately scanned the clearing for her sister.

"I must go to her," she said quickly. She reached over and licked Stormtalon's cheek briefly, which made his fur hot. "Go see Leafpath." And she scampered off to Milkbird and Pack Leader.

Stormtalon ignored Rainsong's advice, and instead sought out Streampaw. He found the apprentice speaking quickly with Mistpaw, but upon seeing Stormtalon, he hurried to his mentor. "Leafpath," he gasped. "Mistpaw told me that she had a vision."

"Of what?" Stormtalon said sharply. He had grown to dread Leafpath's visions, which nearly always seemed to come to pass. Though he was ashamed to admit it, some of this dread had seeped over to his feelings of the medicine cat.

Streampaw only shrugged. "No one knows. She's with Starshine. Is that where we're headed?" he glanced at their wounds.

"Not yet," Stormtalon responded, "as long as you can still manage."

Streampaw bristled. "Of couse."

"Good," Stormtalon led Streampaw through the camp aimlessly, looking for Terror, Mind of Claws, and Face that is Fair. After a bit of searching, they found them in a joint clearing with another dog. The other dog immediately began eyeing at their wounds in such a way that told Stormtalon that he was a healer. However, Stormtalon ignored him and padded up to the closest dog, Mind of Claws, whose wounds now seemed more severe, and was lying down. Stormtalon could not speak to him without Milkbird, but he locked eyes with the dog, and tried to convey the sense of friendship there. He thought he saw the expression mirrored in Clawmind's eyes, and touched their noses together.

He completed the exchange with the other dogs, as did Streampaw behind him. Stormtalon found this manner of communication unbearably slow and misguided, but simple and meaningful all the same.

When they had exchanged this with all of the dogs, they turned to the healer dog, and tried to convey their worry about the others, and gratitude that he would take good care of them. Then they dipped their heads. The dog, after a moment's hesitation, also dipped his head, which, Stormtalon was sure, was not part of Pack's culture. Then the healer motioned towards a bush. Stormtalon and Streampaw entered it without hesitation, and there they found Leafpath and Starshine.

"Stormtalon? Streampaw?" Starshine asked. Stormtalon's eyes took a moment to adjust in the darkness, but they soon found Stormtalon standing before Leafpath, who was gaping as though seeing a StarClan spirit.

"It's us," Stormtalon confirmed. "What is it?"

"Leafpath's just had a vision," Starshine said, gazing back at Leafpath worridly. "I think they keep changing, and she's getting confused. I think..." his eyes clouded momentarily, and he shook his head. "I don't really know. Sometimes I can get an idea of what she's seeing, but it slips away quickly."

"What does she see? Has she said?" Stormtalon asked.

"I see," Leafpath announced, voice shaking "I saw...Streampaw... dead."

There was a pause, utterly silent and still. Then, Streampaw's voice, dark and disbelieving: "What?"

"You..." Leafpath's eyes were as wide as moonbeams. "You should be dead."

* * *

><p><strong>Van: That took us forever.<strong>

**Kai: But it was good - really good!**

**Van: Review, or PM!**


	10. Apology

I apologize for the delay in this story. Hopefully, I will have it up and running or deleted soon. Look on my profile for more information, and if that does not satisfy your wonderings, simply message me and I will get back to you as soon as is possible for me.


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